Paediatric Neurology Flashcards
What are causes of cerebral palsy?
Antenatal:
Maternal infection
Trauma during pregnancy
Perinatal:
Birth asphyxia
Preterm birth
Postnatal:
Meningitis
Severe neonatal jaundice
Head injury
What are the types of cerebral palsy?
Spastic (hypotonia - LMN)
Dyskinetic (hyper and hypotonia (damage to basal ganglia)
Ataxic (problems with co-ordination - damage to cerebellum)
Mixed
How can cerebral palsy present?
failure to meet milestones
increased/decreased tone
hand preference <18m
problems with co-ordination/speech/walking
Learning difficulties
What is hydrocephalus?
Build up of CSF in the brain and spinal cord
What is the most common congenital cause of hydrocephalus? What are other causes?
Most common= Aqueductal stenosis
Other:
Arachnoid cysts
Arnold-Chiari Malformation
Chromosomal abnormalities
What is aqueductal stenosis?
Cerebral aqueduct that connects the 3rd and 4th ventricles = stenosed
How does hydrocephalus present?
Rapidly increasing head circumference Bulging fontanelle Poor feeding Vomiting Poor tone Sleepiness
How is hydrocephalus managed?
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt
What are complications of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt?
Infection Blockage Excessive drainage Intraventricular haemorrhage Outgrowing them
What is craniosynostosis?
Skull sutures close prematurely - results in a normal head shape
What is plagiocephaly and brachycephaly?
Plagiocephaly = flattening of one area of baby’s head
Brachycephaly = flattening of back of baby’s head
How is craniosynostosis investigated?
Skull XR
How does Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy present?
Weakness in pelvic muscles
Gower’s sign +ve (use hands on legs to help them stand up)
X-linked recessive
What is the most common ocular malignancy in children ad how does it present?
Retinoblastoma
Loss of red reflex
Strabismus
Vision problems
